Paw cutter system and method

A poultry paw cutting system for cutting a poultry paw positioned in a shackle on a shackle conveyor line having a longitudinal axis in an ordered, indexed manner, the paw cutting system comprising:

• a guide bar positioned adjacent to and substantially aligned with a portion of the shackle conveyor line, wherein the guide bar has a first end and a second end, and wherein as the shackle is conveyed toward the second end of the guide bar, the poultry paw is urged by the guide bar from a proximal end of the shackle to a central cavity of the shackle;
• a holding wheel positioned adjacent to the second end of the guide bar, wherein the holding wheel defines a plurality of notches in an outer edge of the holding wheel, wherein each notch of the plurality of notches is configured to contain a portion of a paw therein, and wherein the holding wheel is configured to move the paw from the shackle to a blade;
• the blade positioned adjacent to the holding wheel, wherein the blade is configured to cut the knuckle from the paw positioned in a notch of the plurality of notches of the holding wheel;
• and
• a conveyor positioned below at least a portion of the blade to convey the cut paw from the paw cutting system.

A paw cutting system for a cutting a plurality of poultry paws, each poultry paw positioned in a shackle conveyed along a shackle conveyor line, and for maintaining the plurality of paws in an ordered manner relative to each other, the paw cutting system comprising:

• a guide bar positioned adjacent to and substantially aligned with a portion of the shackle conveyor line, wherein as each shackle is conveyed from a first end toward a second end of the guide bar, the poultry paw positioned in each shackle is urged by the guide bar from a proximal end of the shackle to a central cavity of the shackle;
• a holding wheel comprising two opposed discs spaced from each other a predetermined wheel distance, wherein the two opposed discs are positioned adjacent to the second end of the guide bar, wherein a plurality of notches are defined in an outer edge of each of the two opposed discs, wherein each notch of the plurality of notches is configured to contain a portion of a paw therein, and wherein the two opposed discs are rotatable and configured to move each paw from the shackle to a blade;
• the blade positioned adjacent to the holding wheel, wherein the blade is configured to cut a knuckle from each paw when the knuckle is in the predetermined wheel distance between the two opposed discs;
• and
• a conveyor positioned below at least a portion of the blade to convey each paw from the paw cutting system in an ordered manner.

A method for cutting a leg of a poultry paw to remove a knuckle and positioning the paw in sequential order, the method comprising:

• conveying a shackle past a guide bar positioned adjacent to and substantially aligned with a portion of a shackle conveyor line, wherein as the shackle is conveyed from a first end of the guide bar toward a second end of the guide bar, the poultry paw is urged by the guide bar from a proximal end of the shackle to a central cavity of the shackle;
• discharging the poultry paw from the central cavity of the shackle into a lateral notch formed in a holding wheel positioned adjacent to the second end of the guide bar, wherein the lateral notch is defined in an outer edge of a portion of the holding wheel, and wherein the holding wheel is rotatable and configured to move the paw from the shackle to a blade;
• stretching a portion of the poultry paw with the holding wheel;
• cutting the stretched poultry paw with the blade to remove the knuckle from the paw;
• and
• discharging the cut poultry paw onto a conveyor.